It was thinking out of the box that helped VV Suresh Kumar give a new lease of life to different kinds of traditional wooden boxes made in Kerala.
Ari petti (to store grains), arrappu petti (to keep spices for daily use), kaal petti, (for elders to keep their clothes and documents in) and kai petti, a slim briefcase-like box with compartments, carried by karyasthan (manager) of a wealthy landlord or merchant, have all got takers. Marunnu petti (medicine box) was a common fixture in Ayurveda dispensaries. With multiple drawers, it was used to store medicines, herbs and powders.
Instead of making them only in teak or rosewood, as in the past, Suresh now makes the boxes in jack, wild jack and mahogany also.
